Suzuki to keep Jimny alive by leaning on electric eVitara and mild hybrids from 2026

Excessive put a question to for the Suzuki Jimny in Australia has led the Jap producer to originate solutions to abet the compact four-wheel force available to Aussies despite strict emissions regulations that construct the Jimny pricey to promote.

Key to the idea will doubtless be promoting more objects of the Swift light hybrid, which falls below emissions limits, whereas dialling up sales of the Fronx light hybrid that stems—nonetheless does no longer discontinue—the bleeding.

As neatly as, the Vitara little SUV mannequin has a mountainous fresh role to play in 2026 with zero-emission entirely electrical and decrease-emission light-hybrid variations on their formulation to Australia.

The pair of Vitaras will doubtless be more pricey than outgoing variations ($29,990-$41,490 sooner than on-roads) nonetheless Suzuki will doubtless be carefully incentivised to construct the electrical model appeal on price.

Confirmed for unlock in Q1 2026 (between January and March), the Vitara hybrid and eVitara BEV will land with an updated three-door Jimny, briefly discontinued in early 2025 for a mandatory security upgrade.

Vitara hybrid and electrical eVitara are completely different beneath the pores and skin

The Vitara (additionally on hiatus for an self reliant emergency braking upgrade) will replace the existing petrol variations with a 1.5-litre ‘Dualjet’ light hybrid in which a 25kW/60Nm electrical motor supplements the four-cylinder engine for 85kW of combined strength.

With a 0-100km/h time in the 12-13 second vary, the sunshine hybrid is slower and has a smaller boot attributable to its 140-volt battery—nonetheless this can nick fuel train and CO2 emissions whereas conserving front-wheel force (FWD) and all-wheel force (AWD) ideas.

Pricing is expected to commence up around $35,000 sooner than on-boulevard costs for the sunshine hybrid whereas the sooner eVitara BEV may perchance well perchance launch below $50,000.

Below the pores and skin, the eVitara is a truly completely different, more moderen automobile. In-constructed India, the BEV offers a call of 49kWh or 61kWh batteries, the latter providing FWD/AWD ideas, with WLTP vary between 344-428km. At 4275mm lengthy, it’s bigger than the ‘former’ Vitara.

Vitality ranges between 106kW (49kWh FWD) and 135kW (61kWh AWD), promising a ways sharper efficiency than the Vitara light hybrid, with the BEV promising 0-100km/h times of between 7.4-8.7 seconds.

Nonetheless whereas the eVitara in all fairness little by contemporary SUV standards, at 1799kg-plus, it is miles grand heavier than the circa-1250kg light hybrid.

Why is Suzuki penalised for promoting the Jimny in Australia?

Suzuki expects the Vitara light hybrid and eVitara BEV pairing to hit customer expectations of “quality, effectivity and reliability”, nonetheless they play an outsized role in offsetting the Jimny’s CO2 emissions.

Unlike heavy-duty 4WDs love the Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol, the Suzuki Jimny does no longer qualify for Australia’s more lenient Recent Car Emissions Stylish (NVES) emissions category for rugged off-roaders.

Instead, the Jimny is lumped in with regular automobiles and SUVs beneath NVES, which fines carmakers for exceeding CO2 limits. To qualify for the ‘more easy’ ute/4wd category, a automobile must like a ladder-frame chassis (as Jimny does) and towing of bigger than 3000kg (Jimny tows actual 1300kg).

“NVES is difficult, and a routine formulation of doing things,” Suzuki Australia frequent manager Michael Pachota told Chasing Autos.

“There is a weight category in there to try to favour merchandise the industry says possibilities want…so we’re seeing plenty of pick-united statesand bigger SUVs (favoured).”

With official CO2 emissions between 146-158g/km, the Jimny is already over its 2025 NVES restrict of 141/gkm, and it easiest will get more difficult from right here, shedding to 117g/km in 2026.

If Suzuki fails to offset the Jimny by promoting adequate EVs and hybrids, it’d be fined approximately $2900 per Jimny supplied in 2026. If sales caught at 2023 phases (9697 Jimnys), the total penalty for that mannequin may perchance well perchance be as regards to $28 million.

“The executive will now be penalising [Jimny buyers] with a further tax, in most cases,” Pachota stated.

Suzuki’s solution? Rising its combination of low-CO2 objects to stability the books. That entails the eVitata (0g/km), Swift hybrid (90g/km), Fronx (113g/km), and the Vitara light hybrid (estimated 125g/km).

With low-CO2 objects doubtless to yarn for approximately 60 p.c of Suzuki’s volume, this can nonetheless be adequate to scheme NVES ruin-even and therefore justify preserving the Jimny on sale.

It may perchance well perchance be the case that Suzuki wants to restrict present of the Jimny to Australian possibilities to abet a ways flung from making its ticket-sensible CO2 too excessive, or its price may perchance well perchance may perchance well perchance nonetheless be elevated from $30,490-37,490 (plus on-boulevard costs) in train to pass on NVES penalty costs to investors.

Swift, eVitara major as Vitara hybrid easiest slows the bleeding

For petrol, diesel and hybrid automobiles, NVES oddly penalises lighter automobiles bigger than heavier ones for the reason that “headline” CO2 restrict flexes upward for upward, allowing more CO2 as kerb weight approaches 2200kg and up whereas forcing less CO2 as weight drops to 1500kg or less.

Because Suzuki’s combustion and hybrid automobiles are lighter than 1500kg, they face the hardest possible limits—which in 2026 is now not any longer the “headline” sequence of 117g/km nonetheless essentially 102g/km.

Which strategy the Vitara light hybrid (125g/km est) and Fronx (113/gkm) are above the restrict, leaving the Swift (90g/km) and eVitara BEV (0g/km) to own the group from an NVES perspective.

The Fronx and Vitara light hybrid, which can perchance perchance be actual above the 2026 restrict, easiest stem the bleeding in comparison with the automobiles they’ve modified.

Inquire of to ogle Suzuki lean into the Swift and eVitara because it works on securing even decrease-CO2 variations of its completely different objects.

“Suzuki undoubtedly wants to comply,” Pachota told Chasing Autos. “We’ve got a head commence up with low-emissions automobiles…especially with our hybrid technology, albeit more cramped hybrid production in the interim.”

Given the hybrids don’t crawl a ways adequate on CO2 cut price from 2026 onward may perchance well perchance mean the eVitara BEV lands in Australia with seriously handsome pricing.

“Where the eVitara will sit amongst its opponents [pricewise] will doubtless be inexpensive,” Pachota stated. “This would perchance perchance undoubtedly be ready in disclose to justify.”